Threads, Integrated
by Bekki
Summary: Amidst the confusion of Threads, Sam finds answers in a very unexpected place. SJ. Missing scenes from Threads
1. Chapter 1

**Threads, Integrated**

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate and I unfortunately never will.

Summary: Amidst the confusion of Threads, Sam finds answers in a very unexpected place. S/J. Missing scenes from Threads

A/N: This story is a companion piece to Grace, Interrupted. If you have not yet read Grace, Interrupted, I strongly suggest you do so. It's only a short story and should just take a few minutes. You can find it be clicking on my bio. Threads, Integrated is not A/U...enjoy!

**Threads, Integrated**

Sam turned over, groaning slightly with discomfort. Her body ached and her eyes were sore from over-use, but for some reason she couldn't sleep. Pete had dozed off over an hour ago and as much as Sam felt the need to stretch her legs or bash the pillow or at least do something, she didn't want to wake him. Instead, she had spent the last twenty minutes rearranging herself on her side of the bed, tossing and turning with little success. Tonight was just one of those nights.

As a matter of fact, the whole day had been what normal people would call catastrophic. In Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter's terms however, the day was plainly lousy. Her best friend was missing in action and presumed dead, which her co refused to believe, leaving her torn between needing closure and needing to believe he was still alive. To make matters worse, her fiancée had his first meeting with his future father-in-law, and as much as Sam was sure he would make a good first impression, he didn't seem to please Jacob Carter as much as she would have liked. In fact, her father appeared to be damn right miserable, if she didn't say so herself. "He sounds nice"? What kind of encouragement was that anyway?

Oh, and the fact that the galaxy could be facing destruction at any minute.

Unfortunately, Sam had to admit that she had experienced worse days. So today only made the 'lousy' level on Sam Carter's grading system of shocking days. Lousy was a good word to describe the day, really. Lousy made her think of misery and the pointlessness of proceeding with life, which is how many of her days seemed to progress of late. She loved her job more than anything else in life, but she was beginning to find the endless battle tedious, wearisome and poisoning to her eager mind and heart-as well as her intensely over-worked body.

After opening and closing her eyes several times, Sam realised that obsessing over the events of the last few days were not in any way, shape or form going to help her find the bliss of slumber. She started to slide her way out of the bed to get some overdue work done (in Sam Carter's life there was always something to research) however the thought of what her co would say at this present moment entered her mind, and with a roll of her eyes she resumed her uncomfortable position in the bed. As much as it disconcerted her -hearing an imaginary Jack O'Neill in her head- she had to admit that what she had been imagining was correct. It was far too late to be studying the intricacies of astrophysics and she would indeed be deemed an obsessive-compulsive, workaholic-cross-insomniac case if she continued to consume herself with work for the entirety of her down time.

Perhaps counting sheep would do the trick…

Shaking her head at her own obvious delirium, she settled back into the covers and closed her eyes…before opening them once more…and then a second time..followed by a third, fourth and fifth. She clenched her teeth and squinted her eyes closed. 'Sleep, sleep, sleep' she told herself, until her thoughts picked up a slight rhythm, lulling her off into unconsciousness, where sheep proceeded to prance over the Stargate.

"Hey!" Came a loud and abrasive voice from the corner of the room. Opening her eyes, Sam realised she was no longer in the comfort of her bed, but sitting on the floor of a metal chamber, which after careful deduction appeared to be a room onboard the Prometheus. Sam furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She certainly hadn't been sitting here a few seconds ago. She thought hard; what had she just done and how could it have transported her onto the Prometheus? She remembered sheep. Quite a few dozen sheep. But that was all.

"Hey!" The voice sounded again, this time louder and brasher. Sam looked around the room again, searching for the source of the voice. She noticed briefly that her eyes no longer hurt and her body no longer felt like it was between a rock and an anvil, but as though on a cloud; weightless even.

This was getting more perplexing by the minute.

"Yoo-hoo!" came the voice once more, this time with a slight echo to it. The atmosphere was so peculiar, almost dream-like. Nodding, Sam finally realised that she must indeed be dreaming, the memories of sheep only figments of her currently dominant subconscious. The fact that she could recognise that she was sleeping without accidentally waking herself up was a testament to the immense brain power of the Air Force Colonel.

Just at that instant a figure sprang from the ceiling, landing comfortably on two Doc-Martin covered feet. Stretching back to her full height, the girl flicked her black hair behind her ears and gave an expectant grin to Sam. Sam took several moments to take in the girl's features; black hair hiding mousy regrowth that she was sure she had noted before, and startlingly blue eyes that stared at her in jest and contempt. And that annoyingly familiar posture and particular facial expression. With a jolt, Sam finally realised just who she was looking at.

And in her shock and surprise, she almost woke up.

Almost.


	2. Chapter 2

Threads Integrated-Chapter 2

A/N: Thankyou for all your great reviews. Please keep them coming!

"Hi Mom!"

Sam let out a small yell of surprise. There, standing in front of her was the unborn imaginary daughter that her subconscious had created during her stay on the Prometheus the previous year.

"Jess," Sam said warily, at a loss for anything substantial to say to the girl. Jess looked at her expectantly, and after receiving no more words of greeting, rolled her eyes and flicked her hair behind her ears again. Sam wondered briefly where her daughter picked up this idiosyncrasy, before mentally hitting herself in the head. This wasn't _really _her daughter at all. Just a figment of her imagination. Nothing more.

"How are you?" Jess asked, when it became obvious that Sam was not willing to continue the conversation.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, more angrily than she had meant to.

"Came for a chat." Jess replied playfully, obviously not worried by her mother's irritable tone.

"What do you want Jess?" Sam asked, her patience wearing quite thin. She didn't understand why her "daughter" was even here. She had closed that particular can of worms a year ago now and had no doubt in her mind that she had made the correct decision about her life partner. So she told herself, anyhow.

"I'm hurt," Jess chastised. "I would have thought you'd be thrilled to hear from your only daughter."

"Uh Jess, circumstances have changed a little."

"Have they?" Jess asked, her playful demeanour not in the least bit disturbed by her mother's last statement.

"You're a lot more…perky than our last meeting," Sam said, her eyes narrowing. She had a suspicion that Jess had something up her sleeve.

"Oh, that's because I'm not as angry with you this time. I mean, you did take my advice."

Sam smiled. Perhaps this visit would turn out to be a pleasant one. Jess seemed pleased that she had taken her advice, after all. Except, Sam reasoned, Jess hadn't actually said she _wasn't_ angry.

"Not _as_ angry?"

"Well yeah, there are a few details…"

"Like what?" Sam interrupted.

"Well, remember how I said to go and marry someone and live happily ever after?" Jess asked, fidgeting with her fingers as she edged closed to her mother.

"Yeah?"

"That was only if you'd gotten over dad first."

Sam opened her mouth in consternation. She tried to ignore the back flip her stomach had just executed and instead glared daggers at her daughter, who obviously was behind on the times.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to inject a laid-back air into her voice. "I've moved on…considerably"

"I see," said Jess, who, by the contemptuous look on her face, clearly didn't.

"I have!" Sam argued, intent on getting her point across. It crossed her mind for a split second that she was only trying to convince herself, but, like most thoughts she had about Jack O'Neill, she refused to grant it permission to enter her head properly.

"Right," said Jess, who seemed to be well aware of Sam's thoughts. "So, you don't love Dad anymore?" she goaded.

"It's not quite that simple Jess," Sam said, choosing, rather diplomatically, to neither affirm or deny the statement.

"Really?" Jess asked, contempt still etched in every feature of her face.

"Look," said Sam, unable to bear her daughter's know-all sneer any longer. "I love Pete. I'm going to marry him," she said, in her opinion, closing the matter.

"Sure," Jess replied, as though she actually understood. Sam's eyes widened in surprise. She even managed to smile.

"Do you love him more than dad?" Jess asked, just when it seemed Sam had won.

"Jess, that's not fair!" Sam almost shouted, horrified at what her daughter asked, and indeed, what she would have answered.

"Why? Because I already know the answer?" Jess asked.

"The _answer_ is Pete!" Sam yelled.  
"Then why are you having a conversation with a child you imagine yourself having with another man?"

For the second time, Sam was at a loss for words. Why _was_ she having a conversation with Jack's daughter? There must have been some reason, or her subconscious would not have conjured her in the first place.

"Why are you here?" she asked finally, with no trace of warmth in her voice.

"To steer you in the right direction," Jess replied, just as candidly.

"I'm already going in the right direction," said Sam, but she was no longer convinced that what she said was really true.

"So why am I still here?"

Sam huffed in frustration. How the hell should _she _know what the girl was doing here?

"Do you remember what we talked about last time I visited?" Jess asked.

"Vividly," Sam said, restraining herself from rolling her eyes.

"Good. Then you'll remember what I said about being sure of things…Not living for what-ifs?"

Sam nodded. When Jess didn't continue, she shrugged. "What?"

"How many times have you thought about dad today?"

"I dunno, a few," she said shaking her head at the pointlessness of that question.

"How many times did you think about Dad replacing Pete?"

Sam's stomach leapt again.

"I haven't!" she yelled, her mind racing, trying to pinpoint a time when she may actually have done so.

"Oh? So, Pete's inconsideration towards Granpa didn't make you think of Dad?"

"No," Sam said instinctively, wondering if it was in fact a lie.

"And Neither did Kerry Johnson?"

"Who?"

"The chick that was in dad's office the other day," Jess said.

"Ah," said Sam in recognition. "No," she answered, quite sure that it _was_ a lie.

"And you haven't at all thought what life would be like for you and Dad right now if you hadn't met Pete?" Jess asked, with a look that told Sam that she knew the right answer, regardless of the one she was given. "You do realise that it's kind of impossible to lie to me, don't you?" she asked.

Sam scoffed. "Obviously," she said.

"Mom, you gotta stop this!" said Jess, finally losing her cool. For the first time since they had met, she actually looked quite desperate to get her point across.

"Stop what?" Sam asked, becoming genuinely worried.

"Lying to yourself, lying to me, lying to Pete, lying to Dad…"

"I haven't lied to anyone!" Sam said before Jess could continue the list. This was getting beyond bearable. Jess merely glared at her. "What do you want me to do?" Sam pleaded, unsure of just what it was that Jess meant.

"Find out the truth," she answered passionately. "Stop wondering, and just find out. Mom, you can't live your married life wondering what it would be like to be with another man. It's not fair. To you or to Pete."

With one fowl swoop Sam lost any conviction she had towards her case. She had never thought of how she may have been hurting Pete before.

"I know," she said quietly, ashamed that she had been so self-centred in her decision to stay with Pete. She wondered if it had hurt Jack as much.

"So what are you going to do?" Jess prompted, like Sam should have already known the answer. As though their brains were connected (which in fact, they were), a mental image entered her head of their last meeting in which they had discussed Sam's options in finding out the truth.

_Sam had imagined herself trying to find out the truth. The vision consisted of her asking her co whether he loved her or not, only to be scorned and asked to be transferred._

"_No," Jess had answered. "That would be a stupid idea…just yet" she added._

"No," Sam said, realising just what Jess was suggesting she do. "No way."

"It's time Mom."

"I can't do it," said Sam, petrified to the very bone.

"Yes you can. Put it to rest once and for all."

Sam had to close her eyes to steady herself. She didn't know if she could put it to rest. The lingering feeling and its implications had lived within her for so long now.

"And if the answer is nothing?" she asked, voicing her biggest fear of all.

"Then marry Shanahan," Jess said simply. "But if it's something?"

Sam thought of what could happen if they only just acknowledged the 'something' that they shared. She gritted her teeth. It had been a fixed factor for too long to think about it realistically. There were too many possibilities, too many variables, too many forks in the road. Anything could happen. And a mathematic mind like Colonel Samantha Carter's could not take such a risk with so many variables.

"I can't do it Jess," she said, desperate for her subconscious to understand that she sincerely found it beyond her.

"Why not?" Jess asked, her eyes boring into Sam's. "Because you could find out that eight years all boiled down to nothing?"

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Sam asked, honestly not knowing the answer.

"I don't know. Would it? Look, I'll cut you a deal. If you can go through the next day without thinking about dad in a romantic way, you can forget everything I just said."

Sam thought it over in her head. That was simple. She was sure she had gone several months in the past without thinking about him in that context. But, then again, he was never far from her mind, if out of it at all.

"And if I can't?" she asked, both proud and embarrassed that she had the courage to voice the question.  
"Then you go to him," said Jess without a moment's hesitation. "You owe him that much."

Sam nodded and gave Jess a small smile. She knew she was right. She suddenly had a very maternal urge to hug the teenager, but before she got within touching vicinity, a distant voice seemed to be pulling her away.

"_Sam…Sam wake up! Sam…it's time to get up…we're going driving today remember…Sam, honey…"_

And with a gentle push, Sam was dragged from her dream world back into her bed, where a man was shaking her slightly. She blinked her eyes a few times and stifled a yawn.

"_Jack?"_ she thought, a small smile on her face. She was about to voice her question just before realising that she was awake, and that she was with Pete, not Jack; in life, not fantasy.

"Morning Pete," she said sleepily, realising that her count of romantic thoughts about Jack O'Neill hd already reached one.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello all! This scene takes place directly after the scene in which Pete shows Sam their new house for the first time…here's a snippet in case it's been a while since you've seen the episode

S_AM: Can I open them now?_

_PETE: Almost. OK. Now. What do you think?_

_SAM: Uh ... well ... uh ..._

_PETE: Speechless, huh!_

_SAM: Yeah!_

_PETE: Yeah! Isn't it __great! Remember our first night together? You described the house you always wanted?_

_SAM: I can't believe this._

_PETE: The kitchen isn't yellow, but we can paint. C'mon -- I'll show you. And you're not gonna __believe the back yard! The dog's gonna love it!_

_CARTER: Dog?_

Again, thanks for all your great reviews. Well, here it is! Enjoy!

**Threads, Integrated - Chapter 3 **

"The kitchen isn't yellow, but we can paint," said Pete, a childlike grin plastered on his face. "C'mon -- I'll show you. And you're not gonna _believe_ the back yard! The dog's gonna love it!"

"Dog?" Sam asked in spite of herself. Since when were they getting a dog?

"Well, you know," said Pete shrugging, "Till we go the whole mile."

Sam raised an eyebrow and shook her head. What on earth was he talking about?

"You know," Pete repeated, waving his arms about as though it would help her understand, "Kids!"

"Oh," Sam said with a small giggle that was definitely not her own. Kids? Why was he already thinking about kids? A small voice in the back of her mind told her that it was probably because they were getting married. People who were about to get married were supposed to be thinking about having kids. Sam blushed in spite of her self. For some reason, she felt thoroughly embarrassed.

She took a moment to study Pete's face. What would their kids look like? She highly doubted they would look anything like Jess. She rolled her eyes. What a stupid dream. She supposed she must have been extremely tired to have dreamt such a farfetched idea. To think it possible that she was still romantically attached to Jack O'Neill was ridiculous, even laughable. A large part of her however, didn't feel like laughing. She tore herself from her absurd thoughts of Jack O'Neill and returned her attention to Pete's face and what their children would look like. She tried to imagine children and growing old together when Jack's face appeared in her mind's eye. This was getting alarming. She gave herself a mental kick up the six and tried as hard as she could to keep her thoughts on Pete…her fiancée…the father of her future children.

She sighed and looked at the ground. She couldn't imagine having a child who didn't look like Jess – who didn't sound like Jack – who didn't come from Jack. She realised why she was so embarrassed. She was supposed to be already imagining her children with Pete. She should have been thinking of names, or of what their faces would look like, not what her and Jack's children would look like. But she just couldn't help it. She wanted to know what life could have been like.

She swore silently at herself. She couldn't believe what she was doing. She was standing with her fiancée at the house he had bought for her, and still all she could think about was another man that she couldn't have.

She looked back up at Pete, who seemed a little worried that she hadn't spoken for a few minutes. What was she going to do? In the last five minutes she had thought of Jack, thought of Jack replacing Pete, and thought, in considerable detail, what life could have been like if Pete had never been in the picture. The three things she had only recently denied ever doing.

She took another look at the amazing house. How on earth could she live here? It just didn't seem real. Everything, down to the picket fence just looked far too much like a fairy tale. She couldn't help thinking that her future would be just that. A fairy tale. Nothing was real anymore. Every smile, every kiss just seemed like another line being written in a children's book. She reacted to it all, but didn't really feel any of it. Her feelings just didn't seem like feelings at all compared to those that she had for…other people. Happiness was just an expression, love was just a farce. She couldn't count on any of it anymore.

Except for that face. The face of her child. And the face of its father. Funny, the one thing that made her feel the most grounded and emotional was the one thing that wasn't actually real at all. The thought of having a daughter with that man – the thought of being with him – any thought of him really, took her away from the fairytale, back into comfort and reality. And that wasn't something she could just ignore.

"Sam…Sam honey?" Pete asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Sorry Pete," she said, shaking her head a little and smiling at him.

"Is everything ok?" he asked.

"Of course," Sam said, her smile not stretching as far as her eyes.

"Are you sure?" asked Pete, "Because you look a little distracted." Sam shrugged, laughing as though he was out of his mind. "Is there something you need to do?" he asked.

Sam froze, the smile falling from her face. Was there something she needed to do? She could no longer deny what Jess had been telling her. She needed to know the truth. She had to find out, before she let herself be trapped in fairytale land.

"Sam?" Pete asked again. "I know you're busy honey, I don't mind. If there's something you need to do…"

"Thanks Pete," said Sam, cutting him off before he could continue. "Sorry," she said, flustered, trying to figure out whether or not to go. "Yeah, there is something I need to do," she said finally. "I won't be long," she said, backing away towards the car.

This was it. The final confrontation. In a few short moments she would know for sure. With a polite smile and a wave, Sam got into the car and drove off to meet her destiny, once and for all.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here we go again! This scene is a fleshed out version of the scene between Sam and Jack in the observation room in the SGC, just before Jacob's death.

It is assumed that all scenes I have not touched on went as per Threads.

Thanks for your reviews, please keep them coming!

** Threads, Integrated - Chapter 4 **

Sam sighed continually as she watched the Tok'ra dignitaries pay their respects to her father. It really was amazing how many interesting people her father had met in his travels. All because of her. She had to force herself to remember that it was because of her that her father was still alive at this point. That it was because of her that her father had lived those extra years and seen and done those amazing things. She had to stop herself from wondering what on earth she'd do without him and instead tried to think about how close they had gotten since his blending. Those last few years had been the best for their relationship; she had finally gotten to know her father for the great man he was and not the heartless killer she had assumed him to be in her childhood. And he had obviously gotten to know her a great deal too.

How else could he have known just what to say about her personal life? She was shocked at how much her father had known about her feelings towards her CO and in truth, rather embarrassed. She found it interesting to note that her real father had given her the same advice as the father she had envisaged whilst on the Prometheus. She had to smile at that thought. She never thought she would know her father well enough to know what he might say to her.

Her mind wandered to his advice. Could she really still have everything? She doubted it. She couldn't keep her job and have Jack, although the latter seemed utterly impossible on its own. Of course Jack had a girlfriend. How stupid could she have been, to just think that he had been pining after her all this time, waiting for her to leave Pete so he could have her all to himself. Why on earth would he leave that door open? She didn't even have proof that he had any feelings for her anymore, although he did seem genuinely upset about her finding out about Kerry. Why didn't she just ask him, and get this whole damn thing over with?

Realising how insensitive she was being – thinking about her love life while her father was dying – she rolled her eyes and felt tears begin to roll down her face again. Could things possibly get any worse? She knew that she had to end it with Pete; just seeing Kerry had made her truly realise how much she couldn't let Jack go, her best friend was undoubtedly roaming the infinite, and her father was about to join him. She threw her face into her hands – how could any of this be happening? She looked at hr father once more and took in a deep breath. She had to stay strong. She couldn't just break down like this. She was a Colonel in the United States Airforce. She could deal with tragedy. People died every day in her line of work. These things couldn't be helped. But that thought didn't make her feel any better.

She heard footsteps approach her, but didn't bother to turn around. She knew who those sounds belonged to. She kept a sentimental chortle to herself as she thought about the ridiculousness of her condition. She could recognise General Jack O'Neill just from the rhythms of his swagger. Her nose was blocked because she had been crying, but she knew that if she could smell, she wouldn't have even needed to hear his footsteps. Jack O'Neill's aroma was so firmly imprinted in her sense-memory that she could recognise him instantly.

Despite herself, her heart rate soared. She was sure he hadn't forgotten their last confrontation and hoped that he wouldn't bring it up. One problem to deal with at a time, she thought. But he didn't mention it. He merely sat next to her and watched her father, something that Sam found extremely comforting. When he finally did speak, his voice was quiet and caring, unconcerned with other matters, only her.

"You ok?"

"Actually, I'm fine," she said, "Good, even, strange as that sounds. I thought I lost him four years ago. Since then, we've been closer than we ever were in my whole life. In a way, Selmak gave me the father I never thought I'd know." She smiled sadly. She was definitely miserable, but the initial shock had worn off a little and she knew that all she could do was appreciate the time she had spent with her father. She was surprisingly calm, and knew that having Jack there made her even more so.

She looked over to him to thank him and found his eyes stuck to hers. She knew that look. It was a look he only gave to her.

"C'me here," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. Sam smiled and took his hand in hers. They sat silently for a moment, each finding comfort in the other.

"Thank you sir," Sam said finally.

"What for?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the tranquillity of the moment.

"For being here with me."

Jack craned his head up to look at her. His eyes bore into hers with a desperation for her to understand.

"Always," he said. There was a moment of understanding between them. Sam rested her head back on his shoulder and smiled. Maybe they she couldn't have everything she wanted. But for that moment, he was with her and always would be, and that was all that mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Welcome back to Threads, Integrated. It's been a while since my last post, sorry for the wait. I was thinking of writing a chapter on Sam and Pete's breakup, but nothing seems to come to me, and seeing as I've had this chapter written for a while now, I thought I'd post it. If I think of anything substantial for a chapter on 'the breakup' I may add it later. Also, this story ends in a fairly open manner - it has no clear conclusion. This is purposeful as it leaves the episode Threads, for the most part, unchanged.

Thanks very much for your reviews, they are greatly appreciated. If you're reading this story and haven't yet reviewed, please do - it brings warmth to a tired author's heart! Thank you all for taking the time to read this story

**Chapter 4**

Sam re-baited the small silver hook and threw her line back into the pond. An easy breeze brushed past, causing her hair to fluff lightly in the wind. She took in a deep breath and her lungs filled with fresh air. It certainly was nice out here.

She was amazed that she could feel so peaceful after so many days of anxiety and restlessness. She liked to think that it was all because of Daniel's return, but a small part of her knew that a completely different weight had also lifted off her chest, one that was most commonly referred to as Pete Shanahan. Sam peered down at her now naked ring-finger and sighed. Another door closed. She looked over to her co and wondered if it would ever be possible to open that window.

Jack obviously noticed her stare because he turned around on his seat to face her.

"Having fun?" he asked.

"Yes sir," she replied with genuine and fairly surprised smile. She had imagined herself hating this experience; too many flies, not nearly enough to do, and of course the ever-uncomfortable presence of Jack O'Neill out of uniform. But none of those things seemed to matter. She was quite used to the flies by now, for once she was grateful for the relaxation the cabin had thrust upon her, and while apprehensive, she wasn't nearly as uncomfortable around Jack as she had thought she'd be - a thought which made her smile widen. Jack smiled back; he hadn't seen that smile surface in quite some time. He took a few moments just to look at her. She seemed so at peace out here; so much so that he shook his head in disbelief that she had always refused his offers to come here. But, why dwell in the past?

"So I was thinking of getting a dog," he said, once he had realised just how long he had been looking at her.

"Oh?" asked Sam, curiously.

"Well, I'm not going off-world anymore and I gotta have something to do." He said with a shrug.

"Game boy wearing thin on you, sir?" Sam asked, eyes wide with mock innocence.

"Well, a man's gotta grow up sometime," Jack answered, his voice layered with bravado.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Sam replied in jest, rolling her eyes towards her co, who looked as though he was thoroughly enjoying this moment of banter. His grin turned into a frown that Sam had always understood to be an insubordination warning and she giggled. "Sir," she added cheekily and he flashed her a grin.

"So what kind of dog are you going to get?" Sam asked, steering back to the topic at hand.

"Well, I was thinking a Labrador," Jack replied. "Yappy dogs annoy the crap out of me," he added, to which Sam nodded in agreement. "Yeah, female Labrador. Jess, I'd call her."

Sam snapped her towards him, insides buzzing with anticipation. She couldn't believe it.

"Jess?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," said Jack, a proud smile on his face. "I've always liked that name."

Sam continued to stare at him in disbelief. This was far too much of a coincidence. How on earth could her subconscious have known that? Realising that her dumbstruck appearance had not gone unnoticed, she cleared her throat and attained a more conversational expression.

"Not Toto?" she asked, silently applauding her self for such an appropriate comeback.

Jack looked back at her thoughtfully. "You know, I hadn't thought of that," he said. "You don't like Jess?" he asked, concerned.

Sam had to laugh to herself. "No, I love Jess, believe me," she said, turning back to face the pond, "But maybe you should…hold onto it for a while." She could feel her face going slightly red and consumed herself with her fishing line, no longer able to control the grin that was spreading across her face.

Jack looked at her, both puzzled and amused. She looked very embarrassed by what she had said, and yet quite satisfied as well. He returned his attention back to his fishing line with an overwhelming feeling that something had just gone very right.

_fin _


End file.
